Why I’ve Recently Come to Embrace Libertarian Ideas

I’ve always considered myself a Conservative. In fact, I’m registered as a Conservative and find myself voting for Conservative candidates. This identification has to do with bot social conservative values as well as fiscal.

The problem that I have in watching where the country is going is that I’ve observed a trend that proves that Conservatism may be contributing to a coming dictatorship, or a government that is opposite my social values.

Logically, this means that I should support less government as a way to keep freedoms alive.

A Christian Nation

America was founded as a Christian nation—not because the Constitution is a religious document or it is supposed to have a Christian government, but because it was made up of Christians. It was within the framework of the Christian moral code that our laws were drawn up, and that belief system is what inspired the freedom of religion and many of the other freedoms we enjoy.

When a body of people have a worldview in common, they share something intangible, a standard that they can hold each other accountable to. That’s part of the reason that courts have people swear to tell the truth on the Bible—it was assumed that an American would understand that he was promising to tell the truth “so help me God” and that it was therefore expected that the person would tell the truth.

With a common worldview and moral code, people in this country could expect that their lawmakers would abide by that framework, and that the laws would uphold this tradition. It was what defined American values.

Multiculturalism and Pluralism

What was supposed to be our greatest strength is our greatest weakness. By opening ourselves to importing different cultures and values and not imprinting new citizens with our value system, we have opened ourselves up to competing worldviews. There are two different ways that worldviews resolve themselves:

The worldviews coexist with openness toward each other, letting each other live within their worldview.

The worldviews fight to apply their belief structure on the other belief structure, claiming superiority based on numbers.

What started out as more of the first option has quickly devolved into the second—and Christians are as much to blame as those that are attempting to enforce non-Christian moral values on the culture.

This resulted in the Christians attempting to enforce their moral code via the government. From there, things have gotten ugly.

One Side One-Upping the Other

What has happened is that we have at least two different worldviews in competition, and as each group presses their worldview on the other, the response is always greater.

Take abortion for an example.

A Pro-Life President gets into power. He presses for legislation to limit abortion. He institutes funding for Abstinence based sex education. He prohibits federal monies from being used to support abortion. Each of these things were added to the list of things over time that other Pro-Life Presidents have developed over time.

A Pro-Abortion President gets into power. He presses for legislation to get more funding to Planned Parenthood. He pushes Comprehensive sex education. He allows federal monies to be used for abortion. And he has his justice department prosecute “sidewalk workers.”

Each President is pushing his worldview—which is diametrically opposed to the other’s—on a whole portion of society that believes that it’s the wrong worldview.

The struggle is evident in our rhetoric, in the characterization of people with different opinions, and the fact that the parties are busy trying to draw up sides rather than evaluating their belief system against traditional American values.

For both sides believe they are the authentic American!

The Only Solution is Greater Freedom

There are multiple problems with all battles taking place on the Federal Government stage.

1. Laws go through a legislature.

This is a problem because the legislature is made up of the differing worldviews, and this means compromise. Contrary to popular belief, compromise is not always the best policy. Sometimes you need to stand firmly on one side or the other.

2. The Federal Government has to pass through many hurdles.

Because of the laws in place—both in the Constitution and passed through Congress—when the Federal government supplies money it is with many strings attached. These strings limit freedom, whether intentionally or unintentionally. As the government tinkers with behavior through the use of money, it often generates unintended consequences that it cannot foresee. Since there is not a common worldview, and laws pass through a legislature, there are many different moral values legislated at the same time.

3. Morality should not be determined by a majority vote.

We know that some things are right and some things are wrong. However, the secular worldview cannot defend this view, therefore things that are considered “right” may someday find itself “wrong.”

Think religious liberty here. Right now, it’s considered a right to be able to have views about homosexuality. In a few years, it may be that speaking those views in public will get you a prison sentence.

That Last One Is Important

If I have to choose between permitting behavior that I do not agree with to exist and having behavior I agree with criminalized, I will choose the latter former. I also believe that this is Biblical.

You see, Christ called people to join Him, and even spoke against people that seemed like they wanted to follow Him. He did not force anyone to follow Him. Even when it came to the nation of Israel, God stated the law and people committed to it. Christianity is about choice.

As Christians, we recognize that the world is not going to agree with us. We know that the culture is at war with us. Our job has never been to change the culture or to change people, but to follow Christ and proclaim His Gospel. He changes hearts and the culture.

As our culture falls further away from a pursuit of God, it would be in Christians’ best interest to have a society that is open and free than one that imposes one set of worldviews upon another. This imposition never works, as people rebel. A shared worldview from within is the only answer.

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5 Comments

FatherOf4says on:November 20, 2011 at 8:48 pm

While some of the signers of the Constitution were Christians, many were Deists. The Treaty of Tripoli, signed in 1796, disputes the ‘Christian Nation’ idea. Nor would I, as a Christian, want this to be a Christian nation.

I do agree with your Libertarian leanings, though.

Meg Logansays on:November 21, 2011 at 3:13 pm

MIN, “If I have to choose between permitting behavior that I do not agree with to exist and having behavior I agree with criminalized, I will choose the latter. I also believe that this is Biblical.”

Do you mean FORMER as opposed to LATTER? Meaning you would prefer to allow all kinds of immorality in the name of freedom, as opposed to criminalize good things?

If that’s what you mean, I guess I could agree. I’m really not sure. How far can that go and still be acceptable? This is my big difficulty with libertarianism… and I generally say I am a Libertarian… but… I always get nervous when it sounds like we are going to forgo all laws… knowing the depravity of man that scares me.

You’re right, Meg. I meant former. I’ve fixed it above. And it’s true, I’m also at odds here. I mean, persecution has always been good for the church and the Gospel:

It weeds out the “chaff”.
It forces you to rely on God.
It refines your faith.

But in the same breath, I don’t know if the Gospel would have spread as far without the freedoms we enjoy. So, while I believe that the best government for the Christian is Libertarian position, I can also see God getting the Glory no matter what happens.

And under either case, I see sin as rampant. We have laws on the books for drugs, but that doesn’t stop the local public school from having drugs. Even when Abortion was illegal, women were still getting abortions. People will still sin, and we should expect it from those that are not Christians. Yet I find nowhere in Scripture where we are commanded to make the unbelievers abide by the Bible.

Now, knowing the Scriptures and seeing that there will be judgment on the country that doesn’t follow God’s teaching– that certainly breaks my heart for my country and gives me pause. But often, I believe Christians come more from the “I’m holier than you are” than from a “You don’t understand what you’re about to do!”